As far as we know the pug orignated in China as far back as 400 BC. This breed was found among only the wealthiest and the royals. The Chinese, when overseeing a breeding or whelping, would specifically look for either wrinkles or coat markings that would form characters from the chinese language. The Pug's forehead wrinkles would be checked for the formation of the "W" shape, which resembles the Chinese character for "Prince."
It was later found in Holland, Italy, Spain, Russia, and England in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Pugs first came to America shortly after the American Civil War. By the turn of the century Pugs slowly became less popular as other imported breeds became known and were being seen. The American Kennel Club Stud Books show that for the years 1900 through 1920, only a handful of breeders were registering their Pugs, and some shows had no Pug entries at all.
It was in 1931 that a group of East Coast breeders and exhibitors decided to form a Pug Dog Club of America and on December 1, 1931 the club was formally recognized by the American Kennel Club. 400 B.C: The Chinese Dynasties, and the first selective Pug breeding programs date back this far. They were a beloved royal dog, and even had little covered carriages built for them so that they could travel in style while the other Palace dogs marched behind. Noted today as not being the most athletic dogs, this can easily be attributed to what they were first bred for: To be pampered and catered to. Their only official job was to be sweet, adorable and amusing to the Royal families. This did not change after importing as they were readily adopted into Palaces and Royal families for centuries to come.
Where did all these colors come from AND more importantly where did they go?
400 B.C: The Chinese Dynasties, and the first selective Pug breeding programs date back this far. They were a beloved royal dog, and even had little covered carriages built for them so that they could travel in style while the other Palace dogs marched behind. Noted today as not being the most athletic dogs, this can easily be attributed to what they were first bred for: To be pampered and catered to. Their only official job was to be sweet, adorable and amusing to the Royal families. This did not change after importing as they were readily adopted into Palaces and Royal families for centuries to come.
1800's: The dog shows and the registry systems as we now know them begin. Pugs become a registered breed and are given a special show class. The first Kennel Club registry book shows 66 Pugs in total.
By now sufficient time has gone by for two distinctly different and prominent breeders to develop and promote their lines......
Willoughby and Morrison:
Lord Willoughby d'Eresby of Grimthorpe and Mr. Morrison of Walham Green, rival Pug breeders both living in England. They both established kennels and breeding programs influential to the point that nearly all Pugs became to be known as either a "Willoughby Pug" or a "Morrison Pug".
Willoughby and Morrison both liked Fawn.. a LOT! They decided that Fawn was the ideal color (Black was not very prominent at all) But had very different visions of what that Fawn was supposed to look like.
It is well noted that the two rivals were competitive for many year. the orginal MAC vs PC, Everyone chose one side or another.
To summarize the most obvious differences briefly, Willoughby was more of a watercolor style breeder. His Fawns had a "smutty" coat, sometimes called salt and pepper, with many dark hairs integrated among the light. The black mask continued beyond the head, and fading slowly.
Morrison had more restricted, color within the lines ideals and his Fawns were very defined. The coat where light was very clear, with no dark hairs, and the mask was very dark with an abrupt stop at the edges of the face, as was the trace (the darker line along the spine) thin.
Although these two bloodlines were eventually combined, it is still easy to see the effects in todays Fawns, and to guess which ancestral side any given Pug takes after.
1900's: A trip back to the origins. Early in the 1900's a book is published called Dogs in China and Japan that recounts the experiences of a man named Wang Hou Chun. A servant in the Emperors Imperial Palace, Wang Hou Chun was a breeder and trainer of the royal dogs for seventy five years. He uses the word Lo-Sze to describe the Pugs, and among many interesting things discussed is the importance of the forehead wrinkles to the Chinese; they would look for certain patterns in the appearance of Chinese symbols and letters with the most prized being three wrinkles together meaning "Prince" (looks a bit like an upside down "W") also recorded are many Oriental Pugs having a great deal of White or being White altogether, and how the lines that produced the White and Spotted (spotted? Brindle perhaps?) Pugs were allowed to become almost completely lost.
Art: Pugs of Color have also been documented throughout history in photographs and art. Below is not a comprehensive list at all but at least to list a few:
1890's: King George V is photographed with his White Pug
1907: A Silver-Grey Willoughby Pug is photographed taking a trophy in the show ring
1930's: A Kennel Club Book entitle "PUG" showcases a breeder holding an armful of very cute, very Brindle pug puppies in it's pages.
One of the more famous paintings of a Brindle Pug is from the Baroque period, commisioned by King Louis XV, who had many Pugs. Completed in 1730 by Jean-Baptiste Oudry, a well known artist for the palace and painter of another well known work entitled "Pug Dog" (among many others) Oudry's painting here is called "Old Virtue"
Old Virtue Today "Old Virtue" is on display at the Palais des Beaux Arts de Lille, the Lille Museum of Fine Arts in France. 
There are many more historical documents, these are just a few samples.
Pugs of Color and the Show Rings:
Pugs of Color have always been rare, but only recently became an actual show ring disqualification. It was a vote pushed into effect by a handful of determined Pug Dog Club of America members, after more Pugs of color began showing up in the ring with the fawns and blacks. It effectually prevented White, Silver-grey and Brindle from entering the ring alongside their dogs.
In Fall of 2006, a Brindle pug was given the Blue Ribbon in a show in Canada. This angered many. If you can find and read some of the message threads from that year it is pretty incriminating...you'll see a great amount of anxiety from some PDCA members, saying things like (excerpts from two seperate sites) "what are we going to do?", "What is going to happen to my business when they are intentionally breeding brindle?" and even "it was because the judge was a foreigner".
Again, before this there was no color disqualification.
Although the AKC allowed the PDCA to set the show standard the AKC STILL supports, registers and recognizes Pugs of Color as pure Pugs.
Present Day:
The trickle effect of the culling out due to preference for Fawn (and to a lesser degree Black) and then the backlash to keep them out of the ring is definitely felt today. Pugs of color are often not treated fairly and are frequently referred to as being crossbred, deformed or unhealthy.
Although I do not wish to involve myself in the controversies that surround Pugs of Color, there are a few things that are certain:
1) The original Pug colors were undeniably culled out of most breeding programs to the brink of extinction, just as documents from the early 1900's were already lamenting back then, and continued well past.
2) Many show breeders, Pug organizations and standard clubs today deny this most probably due to the fact that they:
A) do not want to admit that this practice is or was possible in an organization that they are a part of.
B) naively believe what they have been told without doing the research themselves or
C) have spent years and generations perfecting their Fawn and Black programs and are threatened by these stunning, rare colors.
They are brave confident little dogs yet at the same time friendly and sensitive. They are fantastic with children and absolutely adore playtime. They are small but unlike many of the toy breeds sturdy. I always describe my pugs as large family dogs (such as labs) stuck in a little body. They are quite adaptable to many situations. They do need daily exercise but will live happily in an apartment as long as they get daily walks. They Love to be with their people and feel lost without them.
Pugs are Cute Cuddly and Smart....They love to do silly things to get our attention. Which is probably why they are often referred to as the "Clowns of the animal Kingdom". Although they are often stubborn they have the ability to learn quickly if they are offered something that interests them (FOOD)
Although pugs are short haired dogs they do require regular bathing to keep the shedding down as pugs shed a lot! Brushing will also help cut down on the hair but not eliminate it. Another grooming necessity that's unique to the Pug is keeping the folds in the Pug's cute little face clean. Moisture and all kinds of stuff get trapped inside these wrinkles and if not cleaned regularly, the combination may result in an infection. Keeping them clean isn't hard. Once a week take a damp washcloth and gently pull back the folds and wipe. Often times pugs with deep nose wrinkles will get a cahpped nose, which appears all dry and uncomfortable, to relieve this issue rub a tiny amount of neosporin OR A&D ointment into the wrinkly with the washcloth 9being careful not to get it on the nostrils). The Pug's ears also should be kept clean of wax. This can be easily accomplished by taking a clean cotton ball and wiping the insides. If you prefer, you can purchase an ear cleaner that's been formulated for pets and apply this to the cotton ball first.
Because they have short faces they can't handle extreme temperatures expecially the heat. Therefore they should never be left outside for any period of time in the summer or winter. They love to play outside and get exercise but pugs are happiest when they are with their families! Don't get me wrong they will happily run around about 100 MPH for a minute or 2 but then they are done. If you want a dog that you can play with in the yard, that fetches tennis balls and sticks for long periods of time, and that can accompany you when you’re out jogging, please don’t get a Pug. But if you want a lifelong devoted companion that will be happiest when making you laugh or curling up at your feet then a Pug is an excellent choice.
Pugs are NOT great guard dogs
Looking for a dog to guard your house? A Pug might bark and alert you if somebody is coming but they will probably lick the burglar to death Instead of actually scaring him off.
Many People often think that breeding pugs is easy and profitable, we just wanted to share with you some facts about pug breeding...
The costs of raising Pugs are pretty high. Pugs should be tested for eye problems, hip problems, as well as genetic and general health issues before they're bred. Your girl should be up to date on all her shots before you go into this, as well as wormed. Then pay the stud fee (or have a healthy male pug stud of your own like we do), which is usually the price of a puppy or more. Also remember that some male pugs do not reproduce naturally so then you have another added cost of artificial insemination (AI).
Then there's the wait while you keep your fingers crossed that she is in fact pregnant. Figure in extra food cost as pregnant pugs can eat a lot of extra food. Prenatal care (ultrasounds, xrays, and such) If she is, consider that she may require a C-section. Many female Pugs have narrow hips, and with their big heads, Pug puppies often times can't fit into the birth canal. If you're lucky, you'll have an average litter of four or five puppies. If they were born by C-section, the dam may not be able or willing to nurse the pups. Even if they weren’t born by C-section often times pugs want to be with their humans so badly that they will not care for the pups properly. So, you'll need bottles and formula, a way to keep the pups warm, and round the clock feedings for the first few days at least. You may have to take a week off from work to raise the puppies at first. Add that cost into the figures. Then, there’s the puppy shots and wormings. There's much more than putting two dogs together. And rarely do breeders show a profit in doing so when they count up time and actual expenses.
Beyond all the costs associated with breeding pugs is the fact that most pugs do not do all the work. Labs usually give birth and raise their young without much assistance as do many breeds. Pugs on the other hand need a lot of helping hands in general. Due to their short faces most pug moms do not bite the umbilical cords and remove the pups from the sacs, this is something that a breeder needs to be aware of and learn how to do. There is also a high percentage of female pugs that are not great Moms after the fact either. They are so concerned with being the “companion dog” they were bred to be that they would rather be with their humans than in a box nursing and caring for their babies.
Pugs SNORT SNORE FART and SHED! They are noisy little creatures that leave a little bit of themselves behind where ever they go. But there is something about pugs that leave a mark on peoples hearts. Once they own one they know their is no other breed that compares.
To learn more about Pug Standards please visit the following website:
http://www.akc.org/breeds/pug/index.cfm
To learn more about Pugs of different colors visit the following site: